John Irvin, Author

by Rick Riordan

Published by Disney Hyperion

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY THE LOST HERO!!!

“Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day.”

            From the inside jacket sleeve:

            Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and his best friend is a guy named Leo. They’re all students at the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids,” as Leo puts it. What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly? Jason doesn’t know anything—except that everything seems very wrong.

            Piper has a secret. Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out, whether she wants to or not.

            Leo has a way with tools. When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and some camper who’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist that each of them—including Leo—is related to a god. Does this have anything to do with Jason’s amnesia, or the fact that Leo keeps seeing ghosts?

            Join new and old friends from Camp Half-Blood in this thrilling first book in The Heroes of Olympus series. Best-selling author Rick Riordan has pumped up the action, humor, suspense, and mystery in an epic adventure that will leave readers panting for the next installment.”

            Believe, that last line from the jacket is so true! The Lost Hero is a bit long than what I was used to in the Olympian saga from Rick Riordan—but as soon as I started, I knew it wouldn’t take long to finish. From the hints given, I was able to piece some things together in the great mystery of Jason’s lost memories, but the suspense held me through the entire book.

            My favourite aspect about the book was it is set in the world of Percy Jackson—a continuation of the last series, a sequel series I call it. But instead of focusing on the old characters, you get to meet new friends and get to know them.

            Jason is a born leader, Piper is a gorgeous thinker, and Leo is a funny, awkward, guy who loves every girl. They make a great team, even hooking up with a mechanical dragon!

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: MAGIC BLEEDS.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

by Ilona Andrews

Ace Books

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY MAGIC BLEEDS!!!

“No matter how carefully I patted the chopped apples into place, the top crust of my apple pie always looked like I’d tried to bury a dismembered body under it.” –Kate Daniels

            From the back cover blurb:

            Kate Daniels works for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, officially, as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

            When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar on the border between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

            This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, to handle. Because this time Kate will be taking on family…

            Magic Bleeds is number for in the Kate Daniels series. Just like its predecessors, the book did not disappoint me. When she was sent on that investigation I knew there was nothing but bad about to happen.

            Like always, I felt so drawn into the story I was certain I was right there at Kate’s side, feeling her emotions, hearing her thoughts. She and I think a lot alike, we have the same dry humour, I got all of her jokes.

            The heat between her and Curran is more fervent than ever too.

            I enjoyed how Ilona Andrews is able to mix romance with kick-butt action and adventure in this dark urban fantasy. If you’ve collected the books so far, you really need to check this one out too! You will not be disappointed. Prepare yourself for nights of awesome dueling and mysteries unraveling as Kate tries to save Atlanta again!

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: MAGIC BLEEDS.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

by Joe Schreiber

Published by Del Ray, imprint of Random House

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY RED HARVEST!!!

“You only lived because I let you, those eyes said, and Nickter understood that in the end, Lussk’s act of mercy had sentenced him to the greater humiliation of unwarranted survival.”

            From the back of the cover:

            “Unlike other young Jedi sidelined to the Agricultural Corps—those whose abilities have not proved up to snuff—Hestizo Trace possesses one extraordinary Force talent: a gift with plants.

But suddenly her quiet existence among greenhouse and garden specimens is violently destroyed by the arrival of an emissary from Darth Scabrous, a Sith Lord with a fanatical dream poised to become nightmarish reality. For the rare black orchid that Hestizo has nurtured and bonded with is the final ingredient in an ancient Sith formula—crucial to the Dark Lord’s obsession, but with consequences far worse than fatal.

Now, spawned by a heretofore unknown virus, the rotting, ravenous dead are rising, driven by a bloodthirsty hunger for all things living—and commanded by a Sith Master who lusts for power and the ultimate prize: immortality…no matter the cost.”

            If you enjoy Star Wars and are also a fan of Walking Dead or World War Z, then you might actually like this book. Even if you may not be a fan of any of those, you could still appreciate the intense, knock-your-socks-off, style of the story.

            I must say, I’m not a fan of horror. But I do like dark fantasy which can sometimes verge on horror. Yes, I’m weird, I know.

            Red Harvest is kind of in that area. It’s starts off like your regular Star Wars story, with a Jedi or an Padawan and a Sith Lord with his Apprentice of his followers. I liked the unique twist with the talking plants. When the secret plans of the Sith Lord started revealing themselves, I was biting my lips.

            When the horror that unleashed itself on the entire Sith Academy finally happened, I was flipping pages—I know that sounds cliché upon clichés, but I seriously was. I could not read fast enough. Was the main character going to die? Were her friends going to die? How many of these hapless apprentices were going to be sacrificed to this deadly virus?

            This is science fiction with a twinge of horror and fantasy in the mix. Great ingredients in my book, I’ll say.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: RED HARVEST.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

by Alton Gansky

Published by Zondervan

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY VANISHED!!!

“You make radar contact with three unknowns flying at different altitudes when two of them power themselves into the ground at one thousand miles per hour without crashing, rise again to high altitude, and then combine with the third object. Do I have that right?” –Bettleman

            From the back of the cover:

            “From a Bustling Town to a Wasteland. What has happened to the citizens of Roanoke II?

What sinister secret lies hid in the town of Roanoke II? How did the entire population of this desert military installation simply disappear? High-level Pentagon orders call J.D. Stanton, retired navy captain, back to active duty to investigate.

Heading a crack team of military, government, and scientific experts, Stanton faces a bewildering scenario. Food still on dinner plates, gas nozzles still in the fuel ports of cars at the filling station…whatever happened took the people of Roanoke II completely by surprise.

But took them where? The answer—far beyond what Stanton could conceive in his wildest dreams—carries a steep price. For forces higher than the Pentagon are invested in the top-secret research of Roanoke II. And they’ll protect it ruthlessly.

Caught with his team between trained paramilitary killers and an unearthly and deadly enigma, Stanton faces a choice that will stretch his Christian faith to the limits. It could supply answers to the mystery of Roanoke II…or unfathomable and irrevocable horrors.”

            I love a good mystery science fiction that’s clean too—but I’m not talking about the characters. There are some very dirty government agencies involved in this otherworldly fantasy. Dark and sinister, but also hopeful, Vanished is a thrill of a read.

            This is the first of the J.D. Stanton mysteries that I’ve read. I enjoyed every moment in uncovering the secret of the lost town of Roanoke II—yes, there is a play on the old historical account of the lost colony of Roanoke, but that’s as far as it goes…I think.

            At first, I wasn’t sure if this was some Rapture-theory tale, but when more clues popped up, I started to really enjoy it. Gansky isn’t your regular Christian author, he doesn’t write to try to force his point of view down you throat. He writes for the love of it and I appreciated his sharing of this strange mysterious world of his.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: VANISHED.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

by Rick Riordan

Published by Disney Hyperion

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY THE LAST OLYMPIAN!!!

“The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car.”—Percy Jackson

            From the back of the cover:

           “All year the Half-Bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing that the odds of victory are grim. Kronos’s army is stronger than ever, and with every god and Half-Blood he recruits, the evil Titan’s power only grows.

            While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it’s up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.

            In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.”

            The Last Olympian is an epic conclusion to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series—yes, that did feel like a mouth-full to me too. But it’s true. This finale will have you laughing and crying—if you don’t cry, then you’re either a tougher individual or simply have no heart, which I would suggest at that point for you to go visit the Emerald City and, specifically, a certain Wizard.

            When I joined Percy and Annabeth and everybody else in the last days before Kronos’s return, I was holding onto the edge of my seat. I had no idea what to expect honestly. So many twists had happened already in the plot of the previous books. Riordan does a good job of not being cliché.

            I mean, it could be perceived as just another battle, just another adventure, of some young hero who has to face fearful odds. But what better way to stand?

            Yes, there will be pain. Yes, people will die—it’s war. But you’ll appreciate the ending.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: THE LAST OLYMPIAN.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com

by Sarah Domet

Published by Writer’s Digest Books

A review by John Irvin

CLICK HERE TO GO AND BUY 90 DAYS TO YOUR NOVEL!!!

“So you think you can write a novel, huh? The difference between a novelist and a would-be novelist is that one person actually writes while the other person simply talks about writing. Which one are you?” –From the Introduction

            From the back of the jacket cover:

            “Many famous authors write their novels in a matter of weeks. William Faulkner wrote As I Lay Dying in six weeks. Joyce Carol Oates often cranks out two of three books a year. Stephen King believes first drafts should take no more than three months to complete. So, what’s the trick? Novel writing isn’t about inspiration. It’s about the time, energy, and discipline to see the project to its finish.

            With 90 Days to Your Novel at your side, now is the time. This inspiring guide will be your push, your deadline, and your spark to finally, without excuses, and in three short months, nail that first draft of your novel.

            The difference between wanna-be writers and real writers is the difference between talk and work. If you commit to the schedule and the techniques within 90 Days to Your Novel and invest two to three hours a day for twelve weeks, you will complete your book. An outline will appear. Characters will take shape. A plot will emerge. Scenes will come together and form a story worth reading. And then the talking can begin!

            I picked this book off the bargain price shelf around four years ago. Since then, it has truly lived up to its promises. Giving me insight and encouragement, 90 Days to Your Novel is a handbook for any beginning writer. The overall theme is, there is one key to finishing your novel and that is to sit down and write.

            I usually finish first drafts within a month’s time now, but in the beginning I found three months is the perfect amount of time to set—it does two things simultaneously: one, it allows breathing time, two, it gets you focused so you’re not dawdling.

            If you have a novel inside you, it’s dying and clawing, screaming to get out. Let it out, free it, let it soar, this is your duty. Do not keep something inside that is meant to be shared with the world. We’re all dying for something new to read, what if that next book is yours?

            Reading books like 90 Days to Your Novel will give you the knowledge and determination to do just that.

            So, take my recommendation and click this link to go buy it: 90 DAYS TO YOUR NOVEL.

As a side note, I am required to inform you that my links provided are affiliate links to the said products. Hey, I’ve got to pay the bills somehow. I hope this is understandable!

I’m also a Patreon artist–the cool thing about Patreon is it allows people to support artists by monthly pledges which allow the artists to have more time to work on their own passions. Here is my account: PATREON.COM. If you’d like to support me, I would be eternally grateful!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Or email me at john@johnirvinauthor.com